Lightning-arrester.



PATENTBD FEB. 6, 1906. W. GIPPORD. LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 11u25, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALF TO E. M. DIXON,

LIGHTN'ING-ARRESTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Applicant ned my 25,1905. salaire. 262,277.

To all whom it-ntay concern; l

Be it known thatI,WILLIAM'GI FFoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thompthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,.and to the letters of reference marked-thereon, which forma part of this specification. y This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements lightning-arresters and the object in view is to produce means whereby connected machines and electrical apparatus may be' protected from the effects of atmospheric electricity.

More specically the present invention comprises an arrester consisting ofa series of msulating material tubes of glass or other which is'adapted to be filled withacidulated or saline water, or any ot inductive resistance adapted to the urpose andhavin metallic caps fitted to' t e ends thereof and in the provision of means for conductin the electric current to the ound throug an air-gap which` may be a j usted to suit Ithe requirements.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is afront elevation of myimproved lightning-arrester, and F' 2 is a vertical sectional view through one o the tubes. Fig. 3 is a sectional end viewof the arrester,show ingthe construction of the fiber-racks.

eference now being had to the details 0f the drawings by letter, A Al desi ate a series of glass tubes, or, if preferre A may be made o hard rubber, porcelain, or other suitable insulating material and adapted to be aphite,

' filled with graphite, acidulated orsaline 'water, or any other non-inductive resistance suitable. Said tubes each has a cap C, of brass ory other suitable metal, at its upper end and a binding-screw D. E designates a metal bar,

, which 1s held by said screw to the bindingposts on said caps and lprovides means for electrically connecting t e several tubes in parallel relation at the top end.` The linevper marginal ed er nonwire F to the circuit is connected to the said bar at the binding-post, which is a part of said bar, as shown clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. s To theinside of each of said caps' is fastened by threaded connection or otherwise a carbon disk H, which projects 'down patented. Feb. e, 190e.l

WILLIAM GIFFORI), OF THOMPSONVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-l OF THOMPSONVILLE, MICHIGAN.

into the tube a short distance, as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, an air-space K being left to allow for expansion. Carbon I is fitted` in each metallic cap O at the bot- 4 tom of each of said tubes and below the upes of the flanges of said caps O. Each of said bottom caps is provided with a lug O2, which is a part of said cap, which proects a slight distance below the tubes andy threaded to receive a metal ball O, which forms means for conducting the discharge from the tubes across the space intermediate said ball Ol and ball. J, a lug J 2 of ball J being inserted in the bar J in the holes, as shown in detail of bar J', and are heldin place by the set-screws L, as shown in the drawings. Said plugs.I J can be raised or lowered, so that the air-gap between the balls J and O may be adisted to suit requirements. A ground-wire is connected to J by means ofthe bindingpost thereon, as clearly shown in the drawings. Saidtubes are mounted on an insulat- Iing-base X, as shown in Fi 1, are preferably in ber-racks R/in Fig. 3, w ich are irmlyfastened to the base by screws entered. from the back of base,'as shown in Fig. 3, each tube being held in place by means of set-screws T, as .shown clearly in drawings. Said tubes are not limited to any number of tubes and can be mounted directly on the= face or back of switchboard, if desired,- or on .any suitable -base where wires enter the building.

By the provision of an arrester made'in accordance with my invention each tube may be so finely adjusted that it will just balance the line voltage, and the opening of the circuit will occur when the line voltage has reached a point about ten er cent. above normal or line voltage, there y forming a direct path for the lightning discharge to the earth. I do not wish to convey the idea that the voltage on a line-wire, from the lightning discharge (stroke) does-not reach a 'gher point than ten per cent. above line voltage, but that the arrester opens a pathway for the lightning discharge at that point and chokes back the arc formed when the voltage becomes normal again. This construction will not allow 'ICO current to Iiow across the air-gap at line voltage, and consequently will not maintain an arc at line-pressure, and at the same time the several tubes will take care of any lightning discharge. The present arrester permits of a much iiner adjustment and will dis-v charge at a less rise in voltage than other arresters commonly in use, and. it is only necessary to use but one air-ga for each tube, and that an extremely smal one. The discharge passes straight through the arrester, there being no crooks orturns t0 retard the discharge, and all moving wires or parts liable to get out of order are dispensed with,and its operation is absolutely sure at all times.

While I have shown a particular form of apparatus illustrating my invention, it'will be understood that I may vary the details, if desired, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus Jfully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secur by Letters Patent, is-

A lightning-arrester comprisin a series of insulating-tubes adapted to hol anon-inductive material, metallic caps fitted to the ends of said tubes, a bar connected to correspending caps, a binding-post projecting from said bar and a line-Wire connected to said post, means for holding said bar to the caps, a series of plugs having shank portions fitted to the caps at the lower ends of the tubes, a bar having set-screws therein, balls having shank portions passing through apertures in the bar carrying said set-screws and held in adjusted positions b the latter, a ground-wire connected to sai4 set-screW-carrying bar, a carbon restin upon each bottom of the tubes, and a ear on disk having a threaded shank portion, fitting Within a threaded openin in each cap at the tops of the tubes, said s ank portion of the carbon disk bein surrounded by an air space, as shown an described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature vin the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GIFFORD.

Witnesses E. M. DIXON, A. W. BEEDON. 

